that's the short version is I was very lucky. Luck always plays a role. You have to be smart and willing to take risks. And there is Ah, I love the wording incident because that that such a you know that word means so many things. But one thing that really shaped my direction was when I was in high school. I got to do a summer job with Charles and Ray Eames, the design firm, and they taught me that art and science and technology on all these things were completely related because all my high school counselors were telling me I had to decide on. I was very interested in art. I actually went to school is an architect, but at the same time, I discovered I was always interested in in technology Electron ICS. So that summer job really set me on a path where I understood that all these things were really related and I could ignore the counselors that you didn't actually have to decide. The second incident are the second really wonderful thing that happened is I switched from Elektronik. I switched from architecture to doubly electron ICS engineering, and I got to do Ah, summer internship with Xerox. Um, which at the time Xerox was, you know, was it was the Microsoft or the Apple of the day, Incredibly wealthy, successful company. And they were in the computer business at the time Xerox Data Systems. And so I did a internship that Xerox and as a result of that, got on offer to go to work for Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Xerox Parc, which was just starting at that time. They started in October, and I joined. They started in October of 1970 I joined in early 71. So that was another both piece of luck and good timing and knowing when to say yes because you you may know at that time, Xerox You know what we did indeed, steal the mouse from S r. I, but we did invent Ethernet. We invented the laser printer. We invented the solid state laser die owed bit mapped graphics, the alto personal computer on. And I was lucky enough to get to work on all of those projects. And as a first job, I was there six years. That was just incredible, because I got to cram probably what most people would get to do in 20 or 25 years in five years

jobs I've had because they're pretty diverse. I like to joke that I've had three lives. I don't know if I'll get nine. So one life has been as a researcher. Uh, doing scientific research as well is directing research. So I I've been it been lucky to be at some of the major research labs in the world. AT and T Labs, HP Labs. I lead Sun Microsystems Laboratories, the global RND for six years that I did two stints at Xerox Parc. So in the role is a researcher. Your job is to find interesting problems, convince your managers to fund them. Ah, And then, of course, do good work. Um, as ah, director of a research lab, it's very different because you you spend as much time dealing with money as you do people as you do technology. So, luckily, I learned about finance and accounting and economics very early in my career, so I kind of just knew that I didn't have to pay much attention to that, uh, learning about how to manage people that that took a lot more work. Um, basically, the key there is have a lot of mentors and become friends with your HR department because they can help you solve problems in big companies. My second life was as an entrepreneur. I've started seven different companies. One of them is still going. Um, one of them had to be put to sleep on. Five of them had an exit, one company, grid systems. We did the first laptop computer. We sold that company to Tandy, and later it became Samsung's laptop division. Another company I did was called way frame, where we did the first digital audio editing system for motion pictures. That company resold Adobe. So I, you know, as this life is an entrepreneur, I've always loved starting things from scratch, you know, and not even knowing enough to know that it was quote impossible. Because when we started grid, there was no flat panel display, so we had to invent that. Otherwise you couldn't have, Ah, a laptop or a portable computer, a real portable computer. There were the sewing machine size things. So what I've always learned is is be fearless about solving technology problems. Not all of them can be solved, but many of them can. And once again, it all depends on how much time you spend looking for partners and people that and companies that can, you know, help you develop the technology. So three quick examples a grid we had to invent the flat panel display. So we worked with a number of Japanese companies who were most interested in making those investments back in 1979 power supplies were gigantic. Eso we found, ah, company that was interested in doing the first switching power supply, which made it actually fit in a laptop. The other big hurdle we had was modems where the size of shoe boxes, You know, the thing that we we don't use modems anymore. But that used to be how you you connected to, you know, email and other services. And so we found a company we could work with who had a technology that might make the modem small small enough to fit inside the laptop. So on one hand, you know, in a start up, it's raising money. There. I learned how to create convincing presentations, because what you're trying to do is you're trying to get greed to overcome fear because you're trying to get an investor to give you money for something that's really speculative. And and so I learned how to speak to get green to overcome fear on then the second part is what I talked about. You just have to be fearless that, if you most likely you will be able to solve the technical problems on my last career was as a venture capitalist. I was president of 18 Tee Strategic Ventures for many years, which at the time was the largest corporate venture capital firm in the world. I also worked for Paul Allen for six years at Vulcan Ventures. And there I learned you. You're really making judgments about people. Um, when you're assessing a start up, their idea actually isn't all that important. It's probably wrong. It's going to pivot. And so what you're really betting on is, is that team of people going to be flexible enough to go through those changes and you know, integrity and honesty and all the other things they need. So what? I learned there was really start ups or about people they really aren't about the idea ideas. They're cheap, they're free. Ideas actually aren't worth much. It's actually taking it to doing something. Ah, and then now I'm teaching. Uh, so I'm on the faculty of Thunderbird School of Global Management. Um, and I'm relearning how exciting it is to help students and learn.

so I've been able to work at home a lot. So the current pandemic is nothing new for me. Um, I just on a routine. Um, I tend to get up at seven. Every morning. I, you know, I tried to start the day, sometimes earlier. Um, I'm ah, bit of a workaholic. If I get excited about a project, 10 or 12 hours can go away, and I won't even notice it when I'm working on it. Um, so these days, with teaching a course, your schedule is kind of built around semesters and summer breaks. But I still do a lot of work for my clients. Large, large firms. And so they're Every project is different. You know, you're almost always what happens. You you get through word of mouth or however it happens, or, you know, someone who wants help you get called. They describe a problem that they want some help with. It's rarely the problem they actually have. So ah, lot of the work is figuring out what they're really problem is and then figuring out a acceptable diplomatic or whatever way to say it, you know, because you're helping someone go through change. So Luckily for me, every week is kind of different. Um, you know that the pandemic has pill it on travel, so really have had to adjust and course. Many projects have been slowed down or postponed if you have been canceled. But not many in a way. I'm glad. You know, I have over a million miles of a gnu knighted, and I don't recommend it. Flying is hard, even in the best of times. I don't know. I think I may have gotten a little off topic. Did I answer that question? Okay.to do at least 33 to 5 mile hikes a week. And luckily where we live now, there's infinite places to do that. I've never been much of exercise or gym junkie eso for me. It's getting out and doing things outside. Yeah, so the biggest thing.